GlaxoSmithKline slashes 7,600 globally

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Europe’s second largest company is to axe 7,600 jobs worldwide and British workers will be affected.

The company employs over 100,000 people worldwide and warned yesterday that some of the 22,000 employees in Britain will “inevitably” be at risk. The drugs giant has sites at Dartford, Worthing, Maidenhead, and Ware.

Jean-Pierre Garnier, Chief Executive, said unfortunately there will be factory closures and job losses but we will do all we can to support everybody involved. He added that despite job cuts, in some cases we will be talking about adding jobs and expanding.

GSK announced £1.9 billion pre-tax profits for July-September, down 2% compared with the same period in 2006. This was due to growing competition for asthma treatment Advair and a fall in sales of diabetes drug Avandia after research said it increased the risk of heart attacks.

The company declined to comment about how many jobs would go and which sites may close.

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